TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Spokeswoman for the Covid-19 vaccination program from the Ministry of Health Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said that as many as 1.8 million dosages of Covid-19 vaccines will be arriving by the end of the week. "Probably within this week," Siti said to Tempo on Tuesday evening, December 29, 2020.

Siti said that the vaccines is planned to arrive between December 30, 2020, to January 1, 2021. Similar to the arrival of the first batch of vaccines, the second phase of the vaccines produced in China will be picked up by Garuda Indonesia airplanes.

Recently, there has been a circulation of a letter requesting support for the facilitation of Covid-19 vaccine transport from Garuda Indonesia to the Indonesian Ambassador for China and Mongolia Djauhari Oratmangun. Letter No. GARUDA/JKTDN/20156/2020 dated December 26, 2020, was signed by Garuda Indonesia Commercial and Cargo Director Mohammad R. Pahlevi.

In the letter, it was stated concerning the plan to deliver vaccines from China to Indonesia using a chartered airplane from Garuda Indonesia from December 30, 2020, to January 1, 2021.

Therefore, Garuda Indonesia had requested operational support from the Indonesian Consulate General in the form of slot flexibility, licensing, and other operational aspects to ensure the delivery of the vaccines.

Tempo had made attempts to confirm the Indonesian flag carrier concerning the vaccine transport to Garuda Indonesia Director Irfan Setiaputra but is yet to receive a response.

CAESAR AKBAR